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Cherish:

I was a teen mom. I actually had hid my pregnancy from my family.

One day after school, I ended up going into labor. Alan was born at 34 weeks, so he was six weeks early and he was only 3 pounds, three ounces. So he had to stay in the NICU for about a month.

The nurse who had inspired me, she was just very compassionate and she just really kind of took me under her wing and encouraged me to stay in school and to make something of myself, and just watching how she cared for my son, and then also how she cared for me, really just inspired me. That I really wanted to be able to go out into the world and be able to make a difference in someone's life, the way that she did.

She is really not only just changed my life, but also the legacy that set up for my children as well.

16 years ago I started working as a CNA in the hospital. I loved it. I've worked in areas like the ED, the ICU, so I've gotten a lot of experience.

On the day I decided to enroll in the nursing program at Rasmussen University. It was actually afternoon on my 35th birthday. I was hanging out with a friend, and they just questioned me what I was going to do with this next chapter of my life. I had recently gotten divorced as well, so I was just kind of turning over a new leaf, and I immediately attend. I want to go to nursing school. It's something I've always wanted to do just about between life and things like that. I had a list of reasons like why not to do it at that time. And I said, you know what? What's the worst that can happen?

Without my classmates, I don't know how well I would have gotten through this program. We supported each other because we all knew we had hectic schedules. I constantly had moments where I would have breakdowns and just feel like, I don't know if I can keep doing this, and then I would just keep remembering I was doing this for my kids.

They were what kept me going and helped me to push through. Even when again, I felt like I just wanted to quit.

I am in the first of my family to graduate high school and go on to college, and now becoming a nurse, and it's just honestly been a little humbling as it didn't necessarily happen in the time frame I thought it would, but I think that makes it even more beautiful, because I'm able to kind of look back at this journey and really appreciate it even more. Seeing all the things that I went through to get here.

I want my children to know that they were definitely my biggest inspiration. I am very grateful that I was able to go through this. So now that they can look and see that if mom can go to work and go to school and take care of them and graduate, they can too.

My legacy begins today.

My name is Cherish Adams and I'm a Rasmussen University graduate.

Cherish A.

2:50

“It didn't necessarily happen in the time frame I thought it would, but I think that makes it even more beautiful, because I'm able to look back at this journey and really appreciate it even more.”

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Cherish A.

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